Trout Tips: Keep in touch with that line

Editor's note: The following is exerpted from TU's book, "Trout Tips," available online for overnight delivery.

With my clients, I find that many of them lose touch with their fly line following their cast. I emphasize holding on to their line throughout the cast with their line hand, and then transferring their line to their rod hand and tucking it under their index finger to maintain contact with their fly.

This allows them to be ready to strike immediately following their cast, and they are not looking and fumbling for their line—instead, they are able to concentrate on their fly, and it allows them to strip through their rod hand either as they mend their fly or following the hookup.